Labour's former culture secretary Dame Tessa Jowell has confirmed she is planning to run for mayor of London in 2016.

The Dulwich and West Norwood MP told Sky News she was planning to run for the post and that she would make a formal declaration at a later date.

Dame Tessa is widely seen as a Labour front-runner to replace Conservative incumbent Boris Johnson, who was selected in September as the Conservative candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in the 2015 General Election.

The confirmation comes a month after Dame Tessa said she was "preparing my plan" for London and an Evening Standard poll named her as a favourite to win the mayoral race.

Dame Tessa has been an MP since 1992 and held a number of cabinet positions, including Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport between 2001 and 2007.

Other candidates confirmed are Tottenham MP David Lammy and transport commentator Christian Wolmar. Tooting MP and London Minister Sadiq Khan is also tipped to run, along with Hackney MP Diane Abbott and tax campaigner and MP Margaret Hodge.

Labour's former culture secretary Dame Tessa Jowell has confirmed she is planning to run for mayor of London in 2016.

The Dulwich and West Norwood MP told Sky News she was planning to run for the post and that she would make a formal declaration at a later date.

Dame Tessa is widely seen as a Labour front-runner to replace Conservative incumbent Boris Johnson, who was selected in September as the Conservative candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in the 2015 General Election.

The confirmation comes a month after Dame Tessa said she was "preparing my plan" for London and an Evening Standard poll named her as a favourite to win the mayoral race.

Dame Tessa has been an MP since 1992 and held a number of cabinet positions, including Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport between 2001 and 2007.

Other candidates confirmed are Tottenham MP David Lammy and transport commentator Christian Wolmar. Tooting MP and London Minister Sadiq Khan is also tipped to run, along with Hackney MP Diane Abbott and tax campaigner and MP Margaret Hodge.

The election will be held in May 2016.

So assuming Barmy Boris becomes an MP in May 2015, does that mean he will be copping for two salaries until someone gets the job in May 2016? I know he will be wearing two hats, that has already been published which rather shows how time consuming (not) both jobs are. If he gets two salaries for a year, as well as the obvious sinecure the job is. From a documentary I saw some time ago re: Livingstone's tenure laying down a decent wine cellar appears to be the most onerous part. It also seems to show that the 11% increase for MP's allegedly decided on by an independent body (not) was completely undeserved. If they can do another job as well then any increase at all is out of order. That is not even taking into account the chasing after directorships or a place on an MP's committee preferably researching something in the Bahamas/Jamaica etc. Many people don't realise that far from serving the public on these committees, they get more money still. To paraphrase Cromwell it is time for them to go to make way for better men.

Labour's former culture secretary Dame Tessa Jowell has confirmed she is planning to run for mayor of London in 2016.

The Dulwich and West Norwood MP told Sky News she was planning to run for the post and that she would make a formal declaration at a later date.

Dame Tessa is widely seen as a Labour front-runner to replace Conservative incumbent Boris Johnson, who was selected in September as the Conservative candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in the 2015 General Election.

The confirmation comes a month after Dame Tessa said she was "preparing my plan" for London and an Evening Standard poll named her as a favourite to win the mayoral race.

Dame Tessa has been an MP since 1992 and held a number of cabinet positions, including Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport between 2001 and 2007.

Other candidates confirmed are Tottenham MP David Lammy and transport commentator Christian Wolmar. Tooting MP and London Minister Sadiq Khan is also tipped to run, along with Hackney MP Diane Abbott and tax campaigner and MP Margaret Hodge.

The election will be held in May 2016.

So assuming Barmy Boris becomes an MP in May 2015, does that mean he will be copping for two salaries until someone gets the job in May 2016? I know he will be wearing two hats, that has already been published which rather shows how time consuming (not) both jobs are. If he gets two salaries for a year, as well as the obvious sinecure the job is. From a documentary I saw some time ago re: Livingstone's tenure laying down a decent wine cellar appears to be the most onerous part. It also seems to show that the 11% increase for MP's allegedly decided on by an independent body (not) was completely undeserved. If they can do another job as well then any increase at all is out of order. That is not even taking into account the chasing after directorships or a place on an MP's committee preferably researching something in the Bahamas/Jamaica etc. Many people don't realise that far from serving the public on these committees, they get more money still. To paraphrase Cromwell it is time for them to go to make way for better men.

The whole set up stinks Angelina whoever gets the job.

not sure what livingstone's wine cellar has to do with anything or maybe it's just a nod to someone for some reason.

Angelina wrote:Dangerous Boris would be nearer the mark methinks. I do quite like him as Mayor tho.

I wonder what his wine cellar is like

Pretty full from all accounts Angelina, it comes with the job, all that entertaining they have to do.

It was just that I saw a documentary quite some time ago and it was partly touching on the Mayor of London. It mentioned that when bouncing Boris took over from Livingstone, He found quite a respectable cellar of wine, and that he planned to add to it during his own tenure. Well if that's all they have to do no wonder Billion pound contracts are given to the Chinese. They probably sent him a case of Laithwaites to oil the path so to speak.

As for how they can hold two jobs and do full justice to both the mind boggles. The only conclusion anyone can draw is that both jobs are in fact part time. This in turn brings into question the 11% increase MP's are supposed to be in sore need of. How many part timers in this country (and our politicians have seen to it that there are a number of part time jobs) can get an 11% increase, especially at a time when they are cutting the budgets for everything else.

Hello Katertaif I also saw something about the substantial wine cellar he inherited from Livingston. The man of the people making sure he had the very best wines. I am surprised it was not emptied when he went.